Q: What is your advice to a spiritual aspirant who is serious about realizing the state of enlightenment?
A: Spiritual commitment simply means to recontextualize the goal and meaning of one’s life. This needs to be done totally, all inclusively, so that life does not become segmented into spiritual work versus ordinary life. All life now becomes spiritual practice because context becomes the priority that encompasses every act, thought, or moment. This poised point of view already results in a degree of nonattachment.
From this viewpoint, the emphasis in practice is to observe all the content of evolving life without making any comment, criticism, or judgment. The prevailing attitude can be stated as “That is how it seems to be.” The observer/witness becomes detached from commentary about life and is then capable of transcending opinionation, likes, dislikes, aversions, attractions, arguments, or objections.
Life unfolds of its own and does not need commentary. The habit of editorializing about what is witnessed needs to be voluntarily surrendered to God.
From: “I: Reality and Subjectivity” (2003), Chapter 17: The Inner Path, p. 300
Thank you for reminding me of this inspiring message. The timing of it is perfect for me.
That last paragraph is the tough one…great lesson!
So perfectly said.
This is exactly what I needed right now! Thank you so much for sharing such comforting words. I miss Doc’s lectures so much–wondering what he would say right now. And this is exactly what he would say! Thank you for finding this particular passage! My big dream is to have a “complete concordance” of all the books he wrote…I would offer to help with that if I were not already a senior citizen and have less energy now than when I was traveling to his lectures. But by putting it out to the universal consciousness maybe someone will pick up on the idea and it can happen for the next generation.
Thank you for keeping Dr. Hawkins alive in our hearts!
I appreciate these newsletters with quotes from Dr. Hawkins’ writings. Appropriate writings generally arrive just when I need them. Which is about every day! Thank you so much for finding and sharing such important messages.